Powder-duster.



W. H. MQKNIGHT.

POWDER DUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED 1211.25, 1910.

990,762. Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

WALTER H. MOKNIGHT, 0F FLUVANNA, TEXAS.

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Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

Application filed April 25, 1910. Serial No. 557,569.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VAL'rnn H. Mo- KNIGI-rr, citizen of the UnitedStates, resid ing at Fluvanna, in the county of Scurry and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Powder-Dusters, of which the following is a speci-- fication.

This invention has particular relation to powder dusters.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for spraying orejecting a powder onto plants to destroy insects, like boll weevils andcomprising a receptacle containing the powder, means for agitating thepowder and an ejecting means.

A further object resides in a portable frame on which a fan box and apowder receptacle tied together, are adjustably mounted.

Finally the object of the invention is to provide means of the characterdescribed that will be strong, durable, eflicient, and easy ofoperation, simple and comparatively inexpensive to construct, and alsoin which the several parts will not be likely to get out of workingorder.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation tocertain novel features of construction and operation, an example ofwhich is described in this specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1. is a plan view of the machine, Fig. 2. is a side elevation,Fig. 3. is a longitudinal sectional view on the line SD of Fig. l, andFig. 4. is a rear elevation.

In the drawings, the numeral 1, designates an open'frame having ageneral rectangular shape and with a seat 2 at its rear end and shafts 3at its forward end. A follower wheel 2 is mountedat the center of therear of frame. Near its forward end the frame is hung from an axle 4 bybearings 5. The axle projects on each side of the frame and is fixed inground wheels 6 whereby the axle is revolved.

Crank rods 7 have their lower ends journaled in the sides of the frameand are normally disposed at an angle rearward. Two of the rods areemployed, one near'the forward end of the frame and the other near therear end. On the forward crank rod a powder receptacle 8 is mounted andheld in place by straps 9; while like straps 9 hold a fan box 10 on therear crank rod. The reengaging the segment. It

onto the plants.

ceptacle and box are separated some distance, but tied together by sidebars 11. On one side of the frame over the bearing point of the rearcrank rod, a segment 12 is secured. A hand lever 13 fixed on the lowerend of the crank rod extends upward adjacent the segment and carries aplunger 14.

is obvious that by swinging the hand lever the fan box and powderreceptacle are bodily raised and lowered or adjusted in height.

The powder box is divided into compartments by a vertical longitudinalpartition 15 and in each compartment a longitudinal beater shaft 16 isjournaled. These shafts carry transversely projecting angular beaters17. By revolving the shafts and'beaters, suitable powder placed in thecompartments is agitated and constantly stirred up during the operationof the machine. A cover 18 is removably fastened on the receptacle andis removed when it is desired to refill the compartments with powder.

From the upper portion of each compartment, a suction pipe 19 extends tothe upper portion of the fan box 10. In the fan box, a suction fan 20 ismounted on a shaft 21 extending transversely through the center of thebox. From the lower forward end of the box, a discharge pipe 22 curvesdownward and forward and supports at its lower end, transverse branchpipes 23 extending at each side over the frame. These branch pipes, eachcarrying a spray nozzle 24'0n its end through which the powder issprayed It is apparent that by adjusting the receptacle and fan box thespray pipes are raised and lowered. The beaters and fan being revolvedby means hereinafter described, the powder is agitated in thecompartments and drawn through the pipes 19 into the fan box from whichit is ejected into the discharge pipe 22 with sufficient force to carryit into the branch pipes 23 and spray it through the nozzles 24.

For operating the fan 20 and beater shafts 16, a sprocket wheel 25 isfixed on the axle 4 just inside the frame as shown in Fig. 1. From thissprocket wheel, a sprocket chain 26 extends rearward and passes about asmaller sprocket wheel 27 mounted on a transverse counter shaft 28. Thiscounter shaft is supported in bearing brackets 29 projecting from therear end of the receptacle 8. Owing to the fact that the counter shaftis swung with the receptacle, some slack must be left in the chain 26and a spring held idler 29 mounted on the frame to hold the chain taut.I

Near the sprocket 27 a large grooved pulley 30 is fixed on the countershaft; while a smaller grooved pulley 31 is fastened on the projectingend of the fan shaft 21. A crossed belt 32 runs over the pulleys andrevolves the fan to the left with relation to Fig. 3. The ends of thebeater shafts 16 extend through the rear end of the receptacle 8, andeach has fastened on its projecting end, a miter gear 33 engaging with asimilar gear 34 keyed on the counter shaft. The gears 34 are placedoppositely on the counter shaft whereby the gears'33 and beater shaftsare. revolved in opposite directions to throw the powder in eachcompartment toward the suction pipe 19. I

I wish to lay particular stress on the adjustment. of the sprayingapparatus bodily on the frame, as by this arrangement the spray nozzlesare raised or lowered and the relative positions of the supply anddischarge means not altered. A further point of im-- portance is theagitating of the powder which prevents the same from packing or archingin thecompartments and permits it to be more readily drawn through thesuction pipes.'

-What I claim is:

1; The combination in a powder cluster, of a frame, an axle supportingthe frame, groundwheels supporting the axle, crank rods mounted on theframe, a powder receptacle mounted on one of the crank rods, a fan boxmounted on the other crank rod, side bars connecting the receptacle andthe fan box together, a partition dividing the receptacle into twocompartments, an agitator mounted to revolve in each compartment andhaving a beater shaft extending through one end of the receptacle, acounter shaft extending between the receptacle and the fan box, gearsmounted on theshafts of the agitators, gears mounted on the countershaft engaging the first named gears, a

sprocket wheel mounted on the axle, a sprocket wheel mounted on thecounter shaft a sprocket chain connecting the sprockets, a

suction pipe leading from the upper end of each compartment to the upperend of the fan box a fan mounted in the box and having a s aft extendingthrou h the box, a

pulley mounted on the fan s aft, a lar er pulley mounted on the countershaft, an a belt running over the pulleys, a discharge pipe leading fromthe bottom of the fan box, branch pipes extending from the dischargepipe, spray nozzles mounted on the branch pipes, and a hand leverconnected to one of the crank rods for swinging the same and raising andlowering the receptacle and the fan box.

2. The combination in a powder duster, of a frame mounted on groundwheels, a pair of crank rods pivoted in the frame, a powder receptaclemounted on one of the crank rods, a central partition dividin the powderreceptacle into two longitu inal chambers, a pair of beater shafts, onemounted in each chamber of the receptacle and projecting from the rearend thereof, beaters extending from the shafts transversely of thepowder receptacle, a fan box mounted onthe other crank rod, a fanmounted in the fan box, a driving connection for the fan disposedoutside of the fan box, pipe connections, one extending from eachchamber of the powder receptacle to the fan box, a spraying memberhaving connection with the fan box, a transverse countershaft mountedbetween powder receptacle and the fan box, driving connection betweenthe countershaft and the beater shafts, a drivin connection from theaxle of the ground wheels to the countershaft, a second drivingconnection from the counter shaft to the driving connection of the fan,a segment mounted at one side of the frame, and a lever fixed on thecrank shafts and having a plunger engaging the segment.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER H. MGKNIGHT.

Witnesses: V

W. M. COKER, H. S. LOGAN.

